"Putin is acting along the same principle as Adolf Hitler" did during his invasions of Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland in 1938 and 1939, he said.
"Since he wanted to invade Crimea, he needed a pretext and said that his compatriots were oppressed," the 76-year-old Schwarzenberg said, adding that Russians in Crimea, where they are a majority, were not facing any discrimination"
"When Hitler wanted to annex Austria, he said that Germans there were oppressed," he said.
Europe should "clearly tell him that this is a violation of law that will not pass," said Schwarzenberg, who served as Czech foreign minister from 2007-2009 and 2010-2013.
10.41 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that his country’s action in Ukraine is a matter of defending Russian citizens and human rights. He has claimed that 'radicals' control some Ukraine towns.
10.30 From the Crimea, our Moscow correspondent Roland Oliphant has sent this dispatch:
I'm on the road, trying to get a sense of the Russian take over. So far there is a mixed picture of resistance and surrender. the standoff at the border guards base in Perevalnoye is on going.
"They told is to lay down our arms so they can protect them from i do t know who. but we wont give them up," said a Ukrainian major at the gate. His men are surrounded, however, and by the looks of things heavily out gunned.
Elsewhere, armed Russian troops are inside the perimeter of the military airfield at Dzhonkoi in northern Crimea. The Ukrainian commander tells me about 15 armed Russians forced there way in on saturday, disabled the control tower and parked vehicles on the runway to prevent it being used. "We did not receive an order to break out our weapons, so we didn't resist," said Lt-Col Nikolai Gavrish.
The Russians left the base shortly after the daily telegraph arrived. But troops are also on patrol outside the local telecom company headquarters in the town on Dzhonkoi.
Over all, the view from Crimea is that the 'war' is over - Russian forces are in complete military control of the peninsula, and with NATO making no move to back them up, the Ukrainians know that a firefight could only end one way. Crimea now is effectively Russian territory.
Ukrainian recruits receive instructions from a commander in a recruitment self defense quarter at Kiev's Independence Square (AP)
10.25 And here is some more from Bruno in Brussels:
Compared to the strong position taken by the US there are different geopolitical interests at play in Europe, especially for Germany.
Many in Berlin see the US is seen as too shrill, with Washington’s position born of distance from Russia and Ukraine while Germany has to deal with a situation close to its borders.
There are also economic links between Germany and Russia particularly in terms of vital Russian gas imports for German industry.
So Germany is much more pragmatic and conciliatory with a focus on keeping Russia at the diplomatic table.
During the EU talks it will be important to see how Poland, and Lithuania line up with the US or Germany as both countries feel directly threatened by Russia’s actions in Crimea.
10.10 This just in from out man in Brussels, Bruno Waterfield .
Ambassadors are holding fast-moving talks this morning.
Diplomats tell me that the EU is unlikely to back the US position on sanctions or to talk of kicking Russia out of the G8 at this stage.
There will be “only a general discussion of sanctions at this point” with EU support for bi-lateral G8 measures, the suspension of the Sochi summit preparations, said officials.
The EU could back an OSCE monitoring role, this was seen as working well in Georgia after the 2008 conflict and it is a demand that could bridge the gap between the US and Germany.
The EU focus will be on condemnation, a call for Russian withdrawal to its legally authorised Crimean bases and urging a peaceful solution under the auspices of international law.
Ukraine's acting President Turchinov meets with William Hague in Kiev this morning (Reuters)
09.58 The tension in the Ukraine has hit the markets, with global stocks taking a tumble and the price of gold and oil rising as people opt for safe investments. The FTSE opened down 1.5pc this morning, while Russia's shares have dropped. For all the latest developments follow our business news and markets live blog.
09.53 Our full report on William Hague’s comments on the crisis can be found here . He has started a series of meetings in Kiev as global diplomatic pressure ratchets up on Russia.
0947: Putin has lost touch with reality...
Ouch - damaging line here in that New York Times article.
Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany told Mr.Obama by telephone on Sunday that after speaking with Mr. Putin she was not sure he was in touch with reality, people briefed on the call said. “In another world,” she said.
A woman wearing a Ukrainian flag stands at a memorial for people killed in clashes with the police at Kiev's Independence Square (AP)
09.40 A Ukrainian border guard has told Reuters that Russian ships have this morning been moving in and around the Crimean port city of Sevastopol, where the Russian Black Sea Fleet has a base, and that forces had blocked mobile telephone services in some parts of Crimea.
He said the build-up of Russian armour was near a ferry port on the Russian side of what is known as the Kerch Strait, which separates the eastern edge of the Crimea peninsula and the western edge of the Taman Peninsula.
The strait is 2.8 miles (4.5 km) wide at its narrowest point and up to 18 metres (59 feet) deep.
"There are armoured vehicles on the other side of the strait. We can't predict whether or not they will put any vehicles on the ferry," the spokesman said by telephone.
The border guard spokesman did not say how many armoured vehicles had gathered in Russian territory, opposite the city of Kerch on the Ukrainian side of the strait.
The BBC are reporting that troops have forced entry into a Navy base in the city.
There was no immediate comment from the Russian Defence Ministry.
09.25 Damien McElroy , who is in Kiev for us, has sent in this report:
If there was any euphoria in Kiev at getting rid of a hated government, it's well and truly in the background now.
Ukrainian reserves have started to receive call up papers at the outset of the working week. Local reports point to a continuing build-up of Russian forces around Ukrainian controlled territory.
The corridors of the Council of Ministers, where I am now, are filled with business-minded officials rushing between meetings.
The government is on the receiving end of an influx of foreign diplomats and IMF officials as it seeks support to tide the country through its current troubles.
09.20 The situation in Ukraine has dominated the media this morning, and produced some interesting comment pieces.
Mary Dejvesky in the Independent argues that Putin's calculus over Ukraine is in part one of reflecting Russian public opinion.
"Within Russia, the popular pressure on Putin will not be for restraint, but for action. His stance reflects a domestic consensus that, while Ukraine may be independent, its natural place is within Russia’s orbit and Moscow cannot just stand by while the West conspires to snatch it away. “Who lost Ukraine?” is a question that has real potential to erode Putin’s power."
Meanwhile there is an interesting piece on Obama's dilemmas in the New York Times.
The US is intending to implement some diplomatic and economic initiatives that will “make it hurt” for Russia as one administration official put it.
In it though it mentioned this interesting read out from Obama/Putin conversations of recent days.
"But Mr. Obama offered Russia what aides called an “offramp,” a face-saving way out of the crisis, by proposing that European observers take the place of Russian forces in Crimea to guard against the supposed threats to the Russian-speaking population cited by the Kremlin as justification for its intervention."
09.13 Pro-Russian troops have taken over a ferry terminal on the easternmost tip of Crimea close to Russia, exacerbating fears that Moscow is planning to bring even more troops into this strategic Black Sea region.
Soldiers are now operating the terminal in the Ukrainian city of Kerch about 12 miles (20 kilometres) by boat to Russia.
Although the men have refused to identify themselves, they are speaking Russian and have vehicles bearing Russian plates, the Associated Press is reporting.
Troops that Ukraine says are Russian soldiers have occupied airports in Crimea, smashed equipment at an air base and besieged a Ukrainian infantry base in this peninsula.
It has been a fast developing situation since the Russian military captured the Crimean Peninsula without firing a shot, and a number of senior political figures have openly condemned their actions.
Military personnel stand outside Simferopol (Reuters)
09.00 William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, said that the current situation in Ukraine is the "biggest crisis in Europe n the 21st Century" and warned that "the world cannot just allow this to happen".
Speaking to the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, Mr Hague said that further diplomatic measures could be taken against Russia in the coming days.
"If Russia continues on this course we have to be clear this is not an acceptable way to conduct international relations," he said. "As President Obama and the Prime Minister have said, there will be significant costs to that. That is something that Russia have to recognise."
He added: "Russia has certainly taken operational control of the Crimea...they have in effect taken control of the Crimea."
08.55 China and Russia are in broad agreement on the situation in Ukraine, the Russian foreign ministry has claimed.
Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister, and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi discussed the situation and noted "broadly coinciding points of view of Russia and China over the situation that has developed in the country and around it," the ministry said in a statement.
The top diplomats "agreed to continue close contacts on this topic," the statement said.
Russia appeared keen to stress that it has a major international ally on its military intervention in Ukraine after the other members of the G8 on Sunday released a statement condemning Russia for violating international law and suspending their participation in a G8 summit set to be held in Sochi in June.
China is not a member of the G8.
Russia has found itself internationally isolated over its covert military intervention and this morning its stocks and currency collapsed amid fears of a prolonged campaign.
China and Russia cooperated on vetoing three UN Security Council resolutions to put pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, although they voted through a resolution this month on allowing in humanitarian aid convoys.
08.45 Morning and welcome to our live blog on the events in Ukraine and Crimea, Russia and anywhere else that is being effected by the blowback from one of the most serious European crises for some time.
There is masses happening today but the latest breaking is:
Reuters reports Ukrainian border guards are seeing a build-up of armoured vehicles on the Russian side of a narrow sea channel dividing Russia and the Ukrainian region of Crimea. The build up near a ferry port on the Russian side of the Kerch Channel opposite the Ukrainian city of Kerch.
Meanwhile the stock exchange in Moscow doesn't like what it is seeing: AFP reports Russia's markets have dropped about 10 percent and its currency has fallen to its lowest point ever against the dollar and the euro because of the crisis.
Britain's foreign secretary William Hague is in Kiev this morning and has said this is the biggest crisis in Europe in the 21st century.
He is blaming Russia for creating a tense situation in Crimea and asked for troops to be returned to barracks.
Military personnel, believed to be Russian servicemen stand guard as Ukrainian servicemen are seen behind the gate outside Simferopol (Reuters)
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